BraKe systems Series 3 1976

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lrswagseries3

Hi
I made a butterfly valve for my series 3 wagon based on the diagrams in the workshop manual but never installed the extra vac tank that is pictured under the passenger seat.
Mine had the original petrol motor replaced by a diesel(rover2.25) by the first owner. It still has the original booster with separate single circuit master cylinder.
I am interest in what parts/fittings/layout are required to add the extra vacuum tank. I have just rebuilt the gearbox after having it up on blocks since 1987 (chipped layshaft)
also interested in upgrading front brake pads to 6 cylinder type. Could a brake shop do this legally?

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Hello LRSWagseries3,

I was looking at doing a similar thing to my vehicle and asked about it at one of the local brake places. They said they would happily do all the pipe work however they refused to provide a certification for the work of upgrading from single circuit to dual circuit. So I figured I may as well do all the work myself including the pipes.

This has not happened yet because I will keep the single circuit system stock standard. I want to keep it as original as I can until it gets a road worthy inspection. I will revisit the idea of converting to a dual circuit, boosted 6 cylinder capacity system after it is fully registered and the time comes for the brakes to be redone. I will swap it over to a dual circuit system then - while it is registered.

Kind Regards
Lionel

Hello All,

Having never seen a brand new Series III brake shoe, could someone please let me know how thick the brake material should be - when new?

What are the legal tolerances before a shoe should be replaced?

Apart from when they make really bad squealing noises when they wear down to the rivets :p

The shoes are for Baldrick which is a 4 cylinder diesel.

Also when I took the brake drum off there was no sign of the three screws that are meant to hold the brake drum in place. Should they be there and what is the drawback of not having the screws fitted?

Kind Regards
Lionel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

Having never seen a brand new Series III brake shoe, could someone please let me know how thick the brake material should be - when new?

Without having a new one to measure, about 6mm

What are the legal tolerances before a shoe should be replaced?

There are no specific legal requirements. Legal requirements are on brake performance. Good practice would be to replace the shoes with at least 1mm lining above the rivets or the metal if bonded, but in any case while there is still adjustment left on the snail adjuster. This last should be covered by the specified maximum oversize of the drums - if within this limit should adjust to bare metal!

Apart from when they make really bad squealing noises when they wear down to the rivets :p

The shoes are for Baldrick which is a 4 cylinder diesel.

Also when I took the brake drum off there was no sign of the three screws that are meant to hold the brake drum in place. Should they be there and what is the drawback of not having the screws fitted?

Kind Regards
Lionel

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Lack of the retaining screws means that you cannot be certain the drum is properly seated without the wheel in place (or three wheel nuts tightened against the drum), and also will encourage brake dust to get between the drum and the hub every time you have a wheel off, eventually likely to lead to a badly seated drum and erratic brake performance such as a pulsating brake pedal.

John

Regarding minimum lining thickness :-

From the VicRoads website "not down to the wear indicators or less than the manufacturers recommended minimum otherwise not less than 1mm thick".
Possibly differs in other States.

Regarding the drum retaining screws :-

If you ever managed to lose a wheel you could possibly have the drum come off meaning, on single circuit brakes, no brakes ! To be fair unless the drum is new there is normally such a wear lip that it probably wouldn't come off.
Disks on some cars are nowadays not retained except by bolting the wheel on.
On a roadworthy It would be a failure, the manufacturer decided they were needed so they should therefore be fitted.


Colin

Hello All,

Yes it is a single circuit brake system Colin.

I originally decided to check the brakes because it lost all the fluid in the reservoir. Top it up and a couple of days later it would be below the add line.

So I bought a new impact hex socket to suit. I loosened the wheel nuts. Jacked Baldrick up and put jack stands under the appropriate points. I took the wheels off and each time I took the wheel and brake drum off the brake wheel cylinder seals were dry and no sign of leaks. The flex hoses have dry joints too.

I hooked the pressure bleeder on to the reservoir for the recommended dry test..... psssssstttt coming out of the side of the reservoir :mad:. I should have tested it reservoir first :cool:. Lucky I have a spare reservoir for the single circuit.

Apparently it is a different configuration as the reservoir Baldrick came fitted with had a spout out the side. The spare has the outlet underneath the unit with a big arch of steel brake pipe. I think it might have been fitted off the brake pedal box and not the clutch pedal box like it was fitted standard and as per what the manual says. Or maybe it was meant to hang off a bracket located off either the inside of the mudguard or off the fire wall. I bought the spare one as parts that the previous owner had taken off their car so I have no idea where it was fitted. The outlet being at the very bottom with a long threaded stem makes it a lot lower than the original one. I will have to play with it to work out where it was positioned as the place on the clutch pedal box does not fit.

Yes I have pressure tested the spare reservoir and it does hold pressure.

Kind Regards
Lionel

Hello All,

I have arrived back home after dropping off two lengths of 12 gauge fencing wire bent at the appropriate angles to Enzed. It will take three days - until Tuesday afternoon before I can pick up my new lines for the clutch master cylinder and the brake reservoir to brake master cylinder.

With the new line for brake reservoir I can position it where it is meant to go - hanging off the clutch pedal box bracket.

I was sort of hoping for same-day service :cool:

Oh well I, as yet, do not have my own pipe bender or the double flaring tool. So I will make do with what is available and just be patient :eek:.

One thing is for sure - Baldrick is not going anywhere ... literally. :p

Kind Regards
Lionel

Hello All,

As it is my first foray into changing a clutch slave cylinder in a Series 3 I do not know what the norm is.

I am wondering if the casing around where the rod between the clutch slave cylinder and the fork is meant to be filled up with some form of deathly-black, apparently silicone-type based grease that virtually tattooed the skin upon contact?

Or am I just a lucky sod?

Or maybe it is a witch's brew that has formed over time from a leak somewhere at the back of the engine while the vehicle sat idle for years waiting for a new owner to arrive?

It is a factory fitted 2.25 litre diesel by the way and they were never none too clean in the first place.


Kind Regards
Lionel